DURHAM, N.C. – Austin Riley went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs, and Pedro Florimon and Travis Demeritte also homered as the Gwinnett Stripers (17-12) bashed the Durham Bulls (14-14) 10-0 on Saturday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The game was called due to rain after five innings.
Scoring Recap: Riley staked the Stripers to a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single scoring Rafael Ortega, who had opened the game with a double. In the third, a fielding error by Bulls’ first baseman Mike Brosseau opened the floodgates on a seven-run frame. Riley (9) belted an opposite-field two-run homer to right, Florimon (3) followed with a three-run clout to right-center, and Demeritte (3) went back-to-back with Florimon with an opposite-field solo shot to right. All three homers were allowed by Durham starter Arturo Reyes, who exited after 2.2 innings. His replacement, Luis Santos, served up Riley’s (10) two-run drive to left in the fourth, putting Gwinnett up 10-0.
Stripers Stats: Ben Rowen, making his first career start after 354 combined relief outings between the Majors and Minors, tossed 4.0 scoreless innings with three hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. Atlanta Braves’ left-hander Jesse Biddle (W, 1-0) tossed 1.0 scoreless inning with a strikeout in his first rehab outing with Gwinnett. In addition to Riley’s three-hit game, Ortega went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, and Sean Kazmar Jr. went 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Bulls Stats: Reyes (L, 0-1) yielded eight runs – seven unearned – on eight hits over 2.2 innings in his debut for the Bulls. Santos allowed two more runs on three hits over 2.1 innings.
Postgame Notes: The third inning was Gwinnett’s second three-homer frame this season, matching the club’s single-inning record. The back-to-back homers by Florimon and Demeritte were the Stripers’ fourth set of 2019. Gwinnett has hit 44 home runs this season, including 11 through four games in May. The shutout was Gwinnett’s second of the year, the first since a 7-0 win on April 7 vs. Norfolk. Demeritte extended his hitting streak to 10 games, Adam Duvall saw his 12-game hitting streak snapped, and Andres Blanco saw his 21-game on-base streak snapped.
Next Game (Sunday, May 5): Gwinnett at Durham, 5:05 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. RHP Bryse Wilson (0-2, 5.06 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Aaron Slegers (1-1, 5.84 ERA) for the Bulls. Radio Broadcast: 4:50 p.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM “The Other Side of the River.”
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The Gwinnett Stripers are the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, playing their 11th season at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga. For tickets, team merchandise or more information, visit GoStripers.com. Follow the Stripers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at GoStripers.